The group made camp near the border cliffs, the Bloodstone now locked in a satchel bound by sacred threads. Aria hadn't spoken since the blast—her thoughts twisted around the voice she'd heard and the power she'd unleashed.
She didn't feel human anymore.
Night fell heavy and cold. As the others rested, Aria wandered away to the cliff's edge. The wind tugged at her hair as she stared into the darkness.
"I know you're there," she said quietly.
The alpha stepped from the shadows behind her. "You're still trembling."
She didn't turn. "Because I don't know what I am anymore."
He came closer. "You're mine."
Her heart skipped.
"I mean it, Aria. Not because of the bond. Because I see you—even now. Especially now."
Finally, she turned to him. "Then tell me the truth."
He stiffened. "About what?"
She took a deep breath. "Why were you cursed?"
His jaw clenched. Silence stretched between them—heavy, charged.
"The curse came from the Lunaris," he said at last. "Centuries ago, a member of your bloodline betrayed the Shadow Court. They used the Bloodstone to bind the strongest alphas into servitude… into darkness."
He looked at her, pain flickering in his eyes.
"My father was one of them. So was I."
Aria's breath caught. "But why me? Why mark me?"
"Because the prophecy says only a Lunaris heir can break the curse… or bind it forever. I didn't expect to fall for you. I was supposed to keep you alive long enough to choose."
She stepped forward, eyes locked on his. "And if I choose you?"
His breath hitched. "Then I die."
The words cut her deeper than any wound.
Without thinking, she reached for him—her fingers brushing his cheek. "Then I'll rewrite the prophecy."
He caught her hand in his, holding it tightly. His forehead pressed to hers.
"You have no idea what you're saying."
"I do," she whispered. "Because you're the only thing in this place that makes me feel like me."
Their lips met again—this time slower, rawer, as if trying to hold onto something fragile. The kiss deepened until the bond between them sparked, lighting up her mark like silver fire.
Then—
A shriek shattered the moment.
Kane burst from the trees, blood dripping down his arm.
"We're not alone."